“I don’t have to run shit by you, princess,” Lenny snaps, and Wrath immediately turns back, his shoulders squaring like he’s getting ready to attack. I don’t hesitate, moving closer and placing my hand on his arm. He glances to where I touch him, that same lost look on his face. I move in front of him and smile as his eyes find mine. “They’re not worth it,” I whisper. “Let them go. I can stay if you need to talk.” He’s reluctant, I can see it in his eyes, but eventually, he nods, and I sigh in relief. “Thank you.”
As the guards scramble to leave, Wrath keeps eye contact, and it’s so intense that the background noise fades away until I feel like it’s just the two of us. His mouth opens, and I hold my breath, waiting for something, anything . . . because I’m desperate to hear his voice. But then Martha calls my name. I break eye contact and the moment is gone. He clamps his mouth closed and stares at the floor. “You need to get out here now,” she says. I feel him withdrawing, and I hate it.
“Actually,” I say, and Wrath looks up in surprise, “I’ll help tidy this mess.”
“Wynter,” she mutters, disapproval lacing her words, “it’s not how things are done.”
“You asked me to help,” I say, picking up a chair. “And he isn’t going to hurt me.”
She looks hesitant but eventually pushes the door closed. I smile at Wrath, who continues to watch me with curious eyes. “Are you going to help or just stare?” I tease.
We tidy up in silence, and once it’s cleaner, I place my hands on my hips and try to think of another reason to stay longer. I really hoped he’d speak. Martha said he’s a selective mute, refusing to speak a year after he arrived here. Before that, he spoke perfectly well. “I hate it here too,” I whisper, glancing at the door to check no one is there. “But it must be harder for you when you’re forced to do things you don’t want to do.” He watches me with interest. “Like fight,” I add. When he doesn’t speak, I ask, “Do you like fighting?” He nods once, and I can’t hide the disappointment showing on my face.
“What did you expect?” comes Lenny’s voice from behind me. “He’s trained to fight. It’s his purpose. He knows nothing else.” Wrath’s demeanour changes and he grabs me, taking me by surprise as he pulls me behind him. Lenny laughs. “I don’t want to hurt her,” he says. “Look, Mute, I get the appeal. She’s hot. Of course, you wanna fuck her. Bet her cunt is neat and tight.” I shudder at his words, sickness settling in my stomach. “But she ain’t here for you.” Wrath growls, and Lenny laughs harder. “Luckily, we got the approval to bring out something stronger,” he sneers, and I glance around Wrath to see Lenny pointing a yellow stun gun at Wrath.
“I’m okay, Lenny,” I reassure him. “Wrath won’t hurt me.”
“You haven’t seen the way he ravages the women we send in here,” he replies.
I can’t deny I hate the thought of the women coming in here, and I can’t work out if that’s because I feel for them or him. I don’t think he wants this life any more than I do. “I’ll come out,” I offer, stepping around Wrath, who growls louder and pulls me against his hard body. I inhale sharply as his arms wrap around me. They’re not tight enough to hurt. In fact, if anything, I feel safer than I ever have my entire life. But then I feel it . . . the bulge in his shorts is pressed to my backside, and I panic.
Wrath
Holding her so close is dangerous, but I’m not ready for her to leave. She’s the reason I smashed this place up. I needed her, not them. Not the pale, sad-looking women who come here out of duty.
And then she tugs free from my hold and spins to face me. Her face is burning red, and her fists are balled at her sides.I think she’s angry. Her eyes fall to my shorts, and she gasps. And then something strikes my chest, and I fall to the floor, shaking uncontrollably. It’s the same sort of feeling I get from the sticks they use, but it’s so much more intense, and the buzzing doesn’t stop until I’m drooling and breathless. When it finally does stop, she’s already gone.I didn’t get a chance to speak.
I close my eyes, seeing my mother’s familiar smile. This time, she’s holding out her hand for me. I take it, happiness filling my heart as she leads me away from this place.
CHAPTER SEVEN
WYNTER
“How old was he when he came here?” I ask Martha as we prepare breakfast the next day. I’d spent most of last night going over the fight and thinking about Wrath. There’s just something about him that calls to my soul, and I can’t get him out of my mind.
She pauses stirring the porridge and glares at me. “It’s almost like you’re trying to get into trouble.”
“I know young boys are brought here.”
“Warriors,” she corrects.
“They’re just boys when they first get here, and they’re trained into warriors.”
“Asking all these questions will only get you deeper into trouble, and honestly, I don’t know what will happen to you if it doesn’t work out for you in the caves.”
I picture my father and how angry he’d be if he could hear me now, or worse if he’d seen me calming Wrath. “Maybe he’ll kill me,” I say thoughtfully.
“And, for some reason, that doesn’t scare you.”
I smirk. “When you’ve been raised by a man like Anthony Sanchez, you don’t fear much.”
She watches me for a silent few seconds before sighing. “That’s exactly why he didn’t hang you before. He knew that wouldn’t upset you nearly as much as hanging your two friends.”
Thinking about Abel and Jade hurts me way more than I’ll ever admit. They’re ghost-like faces haunt my dreams, making sure I don’t rest easy at night. “How long have you been here?” I ask, changing the subject.
She begins stirring again. “My husband wanted to join the village. We sold all our belongings to come here almost twenty years ago.”
“Wow, that’s dedication.”
